By: Reverend J. Loren Russell
1 Peter 5:6-7 NKJV
“Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
It’s difficult to submit yourself to the discretion of someone else. Very few people are comfortable relinquishing control of their lives. To humble yourself in the context of these verses, is the equivalent of submitting or relinquishing control of your thoughts, your actions, your very being to someone else. This is what the Bible directs us to do, to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God.
Some positions lend themselves to surrender, such as military and paramilitary duties. There, one gives their allegiance and submits to the control of their superior officers. “In Christianity,” writes Howard Thurman, “there is ever the central, inescapable demand of surrender. The assumption is that this is well within the power of the individual. If the power is lacking, every effort must be made to put forth to find out what the hindrance is. No exception is permissible” (Disciplines of the Spirit, pg. 19). Unlike submitting to the control of a person, those who consider themselves to be followers of Christ, humbling ourselves to the authority, the mighty hand of God, is not optional.
Before you begin thinking that Christians mindlessly have no choice in the matter, I want you to consider that there is a positive and transformative reason why the Apostle Peter tells his readers to humble or surrender themselves under the mighty hand of God. First, the Lord promises that He will exalt them in “due” time, meaning that at the exact, prescribed moment, they will be elevated.
There is yet another and more profound reason that we are encouraged to humble, to surrender, to submit to the mighty hand of God…, He cares about us. If I can personalize this, He cares about you!
Let me close with another thought from Howard Thurman, the Amplified Bible translation of 1 Peter 5:7, and a direct quote from Jesus to help us understand the joy that only comes when we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. Thurman wrote, the Christian “yields his heart to God and in so doing experiences for the first time a sense of coming home and of being at home” (p.20). The Amplified Version of 1 Peter 5:7 reads, “Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully.” And, Jesus affirms, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt. 6:33 NKJV).
It is a wonderful thing to humble yourself under the mighty hand of God!
Be Blessed!
Rev. J. Loren Russell is President/CEO of The JLR Company for Church Financial Strategy & Consulting; an associate minister at both Goodwill and The Greater Universal Baptist Churches in the Bronx; creator & host of “Matters of Faith – The Radio Show” Mondays 8:00 – 10:00 PM on Facebook LIVE and author of Matters of Faith: The Book (eBook available at Smashwords)
Follow Us